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On This Day: Randy Travis Was Inducted Into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016

Honestly, I can’t imagine what country music would be like without Randy Travis. He pushed back against the pop-leaning Nashville sound when he dropped Storms of Life in 1986. He brought traditional country music back to the forefront. Guys like Alan Jackson and George Strait came behind him, further driving the roots of the genre forward. Five years ago, the Country Music Hall of Fame took notice of all Travis did for the genre.  On this day in 2016, he attended his induction ceremony.

Randy Travis didn’t just spearhead a movement of traditional-sounding country music. He was also the first country artist to reach platinum status with his debut record, according to the Country Music Hall of Fame website. The strength of his sales didn’t taper off after his debut. In fact, his sales figures continued to grow. Currently, Travis has 13 Gold albums. Eight of them have reached Platinum certification and four are multi-Platinum.

Over the years, Randy Travis picked up a slew of awards from the CMA, ACM, and other awarding bodies. He took sixteen songs to the top of the Billboard country chart over the course of his career. Tracks like “Diggin’ Up Bones,” “On the Other Hand,” and “Forever and Ever, Amen,” are bona fide classics at this point.

Then, in 2013 Randy Travis suffered a major stroke that nearly ended the legend’s life. It robbed him of the ability to sing. He still has issues processing speech and speaking. Travis also suffers from mobility issues related to the stroke. In an instant, country music almost lost one of its greatest voices and advocates. Luckily, he survived. Since then he has gone through countless hours of therapy to regain his speech and mobility.

Randy Travis Is an Inspiration to Us All

Randy Travis stood to receive his medallion at the Country Music Hall of Fame. More than that, though, he sang. He stood at the podium and delivered the most inspiring rendition of “Amazing Grace” you’ll ever hear. Check it out below.

Now, that is a show of strength, determination, and courage. The stroke limited Randy Travis’ singing ability. However, his rich baritone voice is still there. He knew that he was at a disadvantage and couldn’t sing like he used to. That didn’t matter to him, though. He wanted to sing to celebrate the occasion, so he did.

Watch the clip closely. After he hands off the microphone, you can see a huge smile spread across the legend’s face. That smile might be the highlight of the video.

Bookmark that video or save it to your favorite device. The next time you get discouraged, just watch Randy Travis sing despite his issues and keep pushing.